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Welcome to season three of the Writing Your Resilience podcast! During seasons one and two, I interviewed experts and published authors who generously shared their wisdom on writing and healing. We’ll get back to that in season four. But sometimes it’s nice to know the people walking this journey alongside you. For my season three “Summer Shorts” series, you’ll meet ten writers in the trenches of the writing process and hear my advice to them.

But I wanted to launch this season with one more expert–Estelle Erasmus, author of the craft book Writing That Gets Noticed. During our episode, we explore how to craft short pieces with the greatest chance for publication. You’ll also learn some savvy tricks for dealing with rejection.

Bio: Estelle Erasmus, author of Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published, named a 2024 "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers, is a professor of writing at New York University, the host of the Freelance Writing Direct podcast, a contributing editor for Writer's Digest, where she also teaches courses on writing essays and pitches, and judges the Writer's Digest Personal Essay contest. Her articles for the New York Times and The Washington Post have gone globally viral. She has appeared on Good Morning America and has had her articles discussed on The View. She has also taught, coached, and mentored many writers who have gone on to be widely published. She received the 2023 NYU School of Professional Studies Teaching Excellence Award, a 2023 Zibby Award for Best Book for the Writer, is an American Society of Journalists and Authors award winner, and was a cast member in the inaugural New York City production of the Listen to Your Mother storytelling show. 

Resources In This Episode
How to BullyProof Your Child
Plus Here I'm the Focus of the Well Newsletter re the Bullyproof Story
I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways
Freelance Writing Direct with Ann Hood

Highlights
7:00 The Best Time to Work on Short Pieces
10:00 The Power of Google Alerts
13:00 Journaling with Purpose
17:30: Vulnerability versus Pity 
25:11 The Danger of Oversharing
29:00 Confessing versus Confiding
32:00 The Power of Accomplishment Lists
33:48  Writing Timely Essays
40:52 Handling Rejection
51:25 Estelle’s best writing advice

Connect with Estelle
Website
Substac

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Welcome to the last episode of Season 2! This second season has been amazing, and I am so grateful for all of the featured guests and all of you listeners. Just as I did last season, I decided to sit behind the microphone and open myself up to answering questions.

In this episode, you’ll meet Katie Rouse, a poet, memoirist, and former student in my Camp Structure course. During this episode, we explore the signals that your story is “finished” and ready to marinate. As you listen to our interview, here are some questions to consider: How do you know it's time to let a manuscript rest? Do you resist doing it? What fears do you face? What have you done to cope with them? If you've let your manuscript rest, what tells you it's time to pick it back up?

Katie’s Bio: Katie Rouse is a marketing manager, poet, and freelance writer who writes about faith, doubt, and deconstruction. She  loves sending out weekly poems to email subscribers, as well as longer monthly letters. Her work has been published in Missive Mag, hyssop + laurel, and The Unmooring. She published her first book of poetry, Psalms of Deconstruction, in Fall 2021, and is working on her first memoir, which will recount her journey of deconstructing her faith while serving as a missionary in India.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode

Katie’s Poem “Psalm 9” from The Unmooring (See page 38)

Episode Highlights

1:15 Finding the “Good Enough” Completion Point

4:55 Completing Your Work

6:15 The Three Types of Rest

10:15 Signals It’s Time to Return to Your Work

12:36 Common Fears Writers Have Around Rest

Connect with Katie

Website: https://bit.ly/katierousewrites

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/katierousewrites_subscribe

Instagram: @katie.rose.rouse

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Dr. Ramani Durvasula, author of It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People, shares her insights into narcissism, how narcissistic abuse survivors can heal and get support, and how to care for yourself when writing and promoting a book on tough topics. 

Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in California, the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training and Consulting, and professor emerita of psychology at California State University Los Angeles. She is the New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People. She is also the author of multiple other books including Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility and Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist. She has lectured and trained therapists around the world on working with clients experiencing narcissistic abuse and has developed a 36-hour virtual training and certification program to train clinicians on how to use an Antagonism-Informed approach with clients experiencing narcissistic relationships. She hosts a popular YouTube channel with over 1.6 million subscribers, hosted the critically acclaimed podcast Navigating Narcissism, and is a featured expert on the digital media platform MedCircle. For more on Dr. Ramani, please check out the links below!

Resources:

Dr. Ramani’s Healing Program

Healing from Gaslighting Course

Course on Narcissistic Abuse for Therapists

Dr. Ramani Network

Episode Highlights

6:11 How Narcissism Affects You

11:47 Narcissism versus Antagonistic Behavior

16:21 Radical Acceptance and the Problem of Toxic Hope

28:00 The Disengagement Continuum

33:00 Disenfranchised Grief

38:00 Breaking Through Cognitive Dissonance

43:00 Healing and Getting Support

51:46 Dr. Ramani’s Best Writing Advice

Connect with Dr. Ramani

Website

YouTube: @DoctorRamani

Instagram: @DoctorRamani

XL @DoctorRamani

TikTo

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Author Ann Batchelder talks about her daughter’s struggle with addiction, their recovery journeys, the myths she had to confront, her struggle with perfectionism, and the writing tips she learned as she was writing her memoir, Craving Spring: A Mother's Quest, a Daughter's Depression, and the Greek Myth that Brought Them Together

Ann’s bio: Ann Batchelder writes about women’s wisdom and the pain and beauty of difficult transitions. She is the author of Craving Spring: A Mother’s Quest, a Daughter’s Depression, and the Greek Myth that Brought Them Together. Her work has been featured in multiple podcasts and publications, including in Insider Magazine, Newsweek, Hippocampus, The Linden Review, and The Rumpus.

Ann served as Editor of Fiberarts Magazine for ten years. She was guest curator for the Asheville Art Museum where she designed and developed several major contemporary exhibitions, Acting Director of the International Studies program at Lesley University, and Director of Special Events for the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Ann has an MSW and has been practicing mindfulness since 2004. She lives with her husband in Asheville, NC. www.annbatchelder.com

Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

The Hero’s Journey

The Heroine’s Journey

Episode Highlights

5:50 Being Addicted to Someone Else’s Recovery

9:00 Confronting the Good Mother Myth

11:15 What Truly Helping Someone Looks Like

13:27 The Power of Surprising the Reader

15:00 A Buddhist Bent on Recovery

21:00 Braiding in the Greek Myth

30:21 The Art of Inserting Backstory

39:00 Ann’s Writing Advice

Connect with Ann: 

Website: www.annbatchelder.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ann.batchelder.9?mibextid=eQY6cl

Instagram: instagram.com/annbatchelder

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Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/

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Author, Jennifer Lunden, shares her struggles with chronic illness, the challenges of writing a hybrid memoir, especially when you’ve not trained in science writing, and the grit all writers, but especially writers with disabilities, need to cultivate.  

Jennifer Lunden Bio: Jennifer Lunden (she/her) is the author of American Breakdown: Our Ailing Nation, My Body’s Revolt, and the Nineteenth-Century Woman Who Brought Me Back to Life, which was praised by the Los Angeles Review of Books and Washington Post, and called a “genre-bending masterpiece” by Hippocampus. Her essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Orion, River Teeth, DIAGRAM, Longreads, and other journals; selected for a Pushcart Prize; and recognized as notable in Best American Essays. She has been awarded grants from the Maine Arts Commission, the Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and the Canada Council for the Arts, and was the 2016 recipient of the Bread Loaf-Rona Jaffe Foundation Scholarship in Nonfiction. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and former therapist, in 2012, she was named Maine’s Social Worker of the Year. She lives with her husband, the artist Frank Turek, in Portland, Maine.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode

The Lady’s Handbook of Mysterious Illnesses

“The Hero’s Journey Starring You” on the Hidden Brain podcast

Sarah Perry Episode

Laura Davis Episode 

Episode Highlights

7:11 Feedback We Get When Writing About Illnesses

12:00 Structuring a Hybrid Memoir

22:00 The Two Types of Grit Writers with Disabilities Need

31:07 The Three Kinds of Stories We All Have

39:48 Jennifer’s Best Writing Advice

Connect with Jennifer

https://jenniferlunden.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.lunden
https://www.instagram.com/jleelunden/
https://staging.bsky.app/profile/jenniferlunden.bsky.social

Connect with your host, Lisa:

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Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/

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Author Laura Cathcart Robbins shares book marketing tips she learned while promoting her memoir Stash: My Life in Hiding, and how recovery helped her cultivate the honesty needed to write her memoir. 

Laura’s Bio: Laura Cathcart Robbins is the best-selling author of the Atria/Simon & Schuster memoir, Stash, My Life In Hiding, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Her recent articles on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2022 TEDx Speaker, and LA Moth StorySlam winner. Currently, she sits on the advisory boards of the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

I Was the Only Black Person at Elizabeth Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Brave’ Magic Retreat by Laura Cathcart Robbins

“A White Woman Told Me She Doesn’t Think of Me as Black. Here’s How I Reacted.” by Laura Cathcart Robbins

Book Review for Stash: My Life in Hiding by Lisa Cooper Ellison

Author Platform Is Not a Requirement to Sell Your Novel or Children’s Book by Jane Friedman

Official Transcript

Episode Highlights

9:00 The Response to Stash

14:00 The Power of Honesty

16:00 The Link Between Recovery and Honesty

24:00 Channeling Your Energy in a Specific Direction

26:00 Marketing Your Book and Yourself

34:30 Caring For Yourself As You Market Your Book

41:00 Year Two and Working with Book Clubs

47:00 How Honesty Builds Resilience

Connect with Laura

Website: https://lauracathcartrobbins.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauracathcartrobbins

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauracathcartrobbins

X: https://twitter.com/lauracrobbins

Connect with your host, Lisa:

Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/

Website:

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Andrea Firth  joins the Writing Your Resilience podcast to talk about what personal essays are, how writers can uncover their essay’s aboutness, and how to develop resilient editing practices. As an added bonus, she also offers writers the inside scoop on how to get published on the Brevity Blog.

Andrea’s Bio: Andrea A. Firth is a writer, editor and educator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an Editor at Brevity Blog and cofounder of Diablo Writers’ Workshop where she teaches creative writing and provides developmental editing. Andrea has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Saint Mary’s College of California. She was a finalist for The Missouri Review's 2021 Perkoff Prize in nonfiction, and her work has appeared in Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, Allium, The Coachella Review among others. Learn more about her and read her recent work at www.andreaafirth.com.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

The Beauty of a Busted Fruit by Natalie Diaz

Secret Words by Andrea Firth

Broken Glass by Andrea Firth

Old John by Andrea Firth

Brevity Blog Submission Guidelines

Snot-Bubble-Cry Dance Parties that Boost Your Creativity by Lisa Cooper Ellison

Looking at an Eclipse: A Braided Essay About Braided Essays by Lilly Dancyger

Official Transcript

Episode Highlights

4:00 The Difference Between Memoir and Personal Essay

7:00 Exploring the Inciting Incident for Your Essays

14:00 Common Struggles Essayists Have: Aboutness

21:00 The Power of the Braided Essay

25:00 Resilient Editing and Workshopping

34:00 Submitting to the Brevity Blog

Connect with Andrea: 

Website: https://www.diablowriters.org/andrea-a-firth/

Writing Workshops: Diablo Writers' Workshop

Instagram: @andreaafwriter

Facebook: @andrea.firth.58

LinkedIn: @andreafirth


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Author and writing coach, Suzette Mullen shares tips for structuring your memoir, navigating the dark night of the soul, living with integrity, and learning to listen to your inner voice. 

Suzette’s Bio: Suzette Mullen (she/her) is a memoir and nonfiction book coach, retreat leader, and the author of the memoir The Only Way Through Is Out (University of Wisconsin Press, 2024), named one of February’s “most anticipated” releases by Lambda Literary. Foreword Reviews calls The Only Way Through Is Out: “Candid, inspirational…  An emotive memoir that issues a stirring call to women to choose self-actualization.” Suzette’s essays have appeared in the New York Times, today.com, and Brevity, among other outlets. In her work as a book coach, Suzette guides writers to find their deeper stories and define their big ideas. She co-hosts the Mainely Memoir Retreat for women memoir writers and supports LGBTQ+ writers through her group mentorship program, Write Yourself Out. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Wellesley College, Suzette is working on her next book, a memoir about the costs and joys of living authentically.

Resources Mentioned In this Episode:

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Suzette’s Free Companion Guide/E-book

Why Preparing a TED Talk Makes You a Better Memoirist (Even If You Never Intend to Get on Stage)

Official Transcript

Episode Highlights
2:00 Exploring Cover Design

7:00 The Mid-Life Coming-of-Age Story

11:00 Identifying Your Inner Voice

17:00 Learning to Listen to Yourself  

22:00 Integrity and Seeing Clearly

26:30 Living Through the Dark Night of the Soul  

30:00 Beating Out Your Story and Cutting Your Darlings

34:00 Building a Behind-the Scenes Guide

36:00 Deciding What’s for Public Consumption

Connect with Suzette:

Website: https://www.yourstoryfinder.com/ and https://www.mainelymemoir.com/

Instagram: @urstoryfinder
Facebook: Suzette Mullen, Author
Facebook: Your Story Finder
LinkedIn: Suzette Mullen, LGBTQ Book Coach, Memoir

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Website:

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Natalie MacLean joins the Writing Your Resilience podcast to talk about surviving a social media witch hunt, how it impacted her relationship with alcohol, threading a theme through her memoir and marketing your book like a pro. 

Natalie’s Bio: Natalie MacLean, named the World's Best Drinks Journalist, has also won four James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards. She’s the bestselling author of Red, White and Drunk All Over. Her new memoir, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much has just become a national bestseller and has been described as “This decade’s Eat Pray Love.”

She hosts the NYT recommended podcast, Unreserved Wine Talk, and offers popular online wine and food pairing classes at www.nataliemaclean.com.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode

Natalie’s Juicy Book Bonuses

Natalie’s Reader Guide

Five Takeaways From the Time’s Investigation into Child Influencers

Signs of Alcoholism or Alcohol Use Disorder

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

Official Transcript

Episode Highlights

4:00 Developing Your Voice

5:52: Dealing with an Online Pile On

10:00 Caring For Yourself While Writing a Tough Story

13:00 Re-evaluating Your Relationship with Alcohol  

21:00 The Struggles of Working in the Male-Dominated Wine Industry

27:00 Threading the Witch Theme into This Story  

32:00 The Power of Book Club Guides and Bonuses

38:00 Rebuilding Your Relationship to Social Media After a Pile On

Connect with Natalie: 

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

TikTok

Goodreads

YouTube 

Threads 

Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast

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Lennie Echterling joins the Writing Your Resilience podcast to talk about the lessons he learned from landmine survivors, the difference between empathy and toxic positivity, the importance of fostering your posttraumatic growth, and how to use writing to build your resilience. 

Lennie’s Bio: Lennie Echterling, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at James Madison University with more than 40 years of experience in promoting resilience, particularly during crises and disasters. He has served as crisis counselor, consultant, and trainer following many traumatic stress events, including tornadoes and floods throughout the United States, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the tsunami in India, the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon, the shootings at Virginia Tech, and landmine explosions in the Middle East. His awards include JMU’s Distinguished Faculty Award, Virginia Counselors Association’s Humanitarian Award, Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award, Virginia Counselors Career Service Award among many others. 

Resources mentioned during this episode: 

The Paradox of Empathy: When Empathy Hurts

Thriving in a Time of Crisis

The Book of Forgiving: The Four-Fold Path Four Healing Ourselves and Our World by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu

Writing to Heal with Laura Davis

Good Night Jung by Lennie Echterling 

Episode Highlights

4:41 Lessons from Landmine Survivors  

10:00 Triggers for Resilience

12:00 Defining Posttraumatic Growth

15:00 The Problem of Toxic Positivity

22:00 The Power of Being with Another Person’s Story

27:00 The Struggle to Trust

30:00 Embracing and Exploring the Chaos Story

35:00 The Role of Neuroplasticity in Storytelling

38:00 Lessons Learned from Final Conversations

42:00 Making Every Day Valentine’s Day

47:00 The Power of Expressing Gratitude  

54:40 Lennie’s Best Writing Advice

56:20 Lennie’s Resilience Practice

Connect with Lennie: 

Email: echterlg@jmu

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